logo
Crew wounded and missing in attack on ship off Yemen

Crew wounded and missing in attack on ship off Yemen

Perth Now07-07-2025
Two crew of a Greek-managed vessel have been wounded and two are missing in a drone attack off Yemen, hours after Iran-aligned Houthi militants claimed an assault on another bulk carrier in the Red Sea, saying the ship had sunk.
Monday's attack 50 nautical miles southwest of the port of Hodeidah was the second assault against merchant vessels in the vital shipping corridor by Houthis since November 2024, said an official at the European Union's Operation Aspides, assigned to help protect Red Sea shipping.
The Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Eternity C with 22 members on board - 21 Filipinos and one Russian - was attacked with sea drones and skiffs, its manager Cosmoship Management told Reuters.
Two crew were seriously wounded and two were missing, the company said, adding that three armed security guards were on board. The vessel's bridge was hit and telecommunications were impacted.
The ship was adrift, an Aspides official said later, after an attack by sea drones and four speedboats with individuals who launched at least four rocket-propelled grenades. The ship had not requested escort or protection from the naval force, the official added.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.
Earlier, the Houthis claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack on the Greek-operated MV Magic Seas bulk carrier off southwest Yemen. The raid involved gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades from eight skiffs as well as missiles and four uncrewed surface vessels.
The 19 crew members were forced to abandon the Liberian-flagged vessel as it was taking on water. They were picked up by a passing ship and have arrived safely in Djibouti, sources said.
Houthis said they sunk the vessel. But Michael Bodouroglou, a representative of Stem Shipping, one of the ship's commercial managers, said there was no independent verification.
Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2023, the Houthis have been attacking Israel and vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
Israel has struck Houthi targets in response, launching strikes on Monday for the first time in nearly a month. A US-Houthi ceasefire deal in May did not include Israel.
The latest attacks highlight a growing operational risk to commercial operators whose vessels have called at Israeli ports, maritime security firm Diaplous said.
John Xylas, chairman of the dry bulk shipping association Intercargo, said the crew were "innocent people, simply doing their jobs, keeping global trade moving".
"No one at sea should ever face such violence," he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza
International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza

News.com.au

time3 hours ago

  • News.com.au

International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza

International news agencies Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP) and Reuters as well as the BBC on Thursday called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, which is subject to a strict blockade. "We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families," the media groups said in a joint statement. They added that "journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in war zones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them." "We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza. It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there," they concluded. With Gaza sealed off, many media groups around the world depend on photo, video and text coverage of the conflict provided by Palestinian reporters to international news agencies such as AFP. International criticism is growing over the plight of the more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where more than 100 aid and rights groups have warned that "mass starvation" is spreading. Since the war started following the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, a small number of journalists have been able to enter Gaza only with the Israeli army and under strict military censorship rules. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in early July that more than 200 journalists had been killed in Gaza since the war began. - Evacuations - AFP news agency has published accounts of life inside Gaza from its reporters this week. It has said it is concerned about "the appalling situation" they face due to a daily struggle to find food. "We have no energy left due to hunger and lack of food," said Omar al-Qattaa, a 35-year-old AFP photographer shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year. "Obtaining food in Gaza is extremely difficult. Even when it is available, prices are multiplied by 100," video journalist Youssef Hassouna said. Israel says humanitarian aid is being allowed in and accuses Hamas of exploiting civilian suffering, including by stealing food handouts to sell at inflated prices or shooting at those awaiting aid. The World Health Organization's chief warned on Wednesday of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying food deliveries into the territory were "far below what is needed for the survival of the population". Witnesses and Gaza's civil defence agency have repeatedly accused Israeli forces of firing on aid seekers. The UN said the military had killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food since late May. AFP succeeded in evacuating eight staff members and their families from Gaza between January and April 2024, after months of effort. - 'Starving' - The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a media freedom group, said in a statement on Wednesday that Israel was "starving Gazan journalists into silence". "They are not just reporters, they are frontline witnesses, abandoned as international media were pulled out and denied entry," CPJ regional director Sara Qudah was quoted as saying. Many Palestinian journalists have spoken out or posted about their exhaustion, with Sally Thabet, a correspondent for Al-Kofiya satellite channel, fainting after a live broadcast this week, the CPJ said. Doha-based Al Jazeera, the most influential Arabic media group, also called for global action to protect Gaza's journalists on Tuesday. The channel, which has been banned in Israel, has had five of its reporters killed since the start of the conflict in what it says is a deliberate targeting campaign by Israel. In some cases, Israel has accused reporters of being "terror operatives", such as when it killed a Gaza-based Al Jazeera staff journalist and freelancer last year -- allegations condemned by the Qatari news network. "We know that probably most journalists inside Gaza are operating under the auspices of Hamas, and until Hamas is destroyed, they will not be allowed to report freely," Israeli government spokesman David Mercer told a press conference last December. adp/jj

Australian tourist found dead in Thai hotel room
Australian tourist found dead in Thai hotel room

Sydney Morning Herald

time4 hours ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Australian tourist found dead in Thai hotel room

An Australian man has been found dead inside a hotel room in Thailand one day before his flight back home, according to local media. The tourist, reportedly aged in his early 20s, was discovered by a hotel staff member in the district of Tambon Thepkrasattri on the holiday island of Phuket on Wednesday morning, local time. Police were called around 10am, local time, and found the man in bed wearing a black T-shirt and holding a mobile phone, The Phuket News reported. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed an Australian had died. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Thailand,' the spokesperson said on Thursday night. The holidaymaker, who is yet to be formally identified, was born in India and had an Australian passport, according to Reuters. There were bandages on the man's elbow and wrist. His friends told local authorities the injuries were from a recent motorcycle accident, The Phuket News said. Police said there were no signs of assault or a break-in in the room. 'I saw him lying there with a mobile phone resting on his chest. He was still on a call with someone. The line hadn't been disconnected, and he had died like that. There were no signs of struggle or anything suspicious,' police lieutenant colonel Thanom Thongpaen told Reuters.

Starmer, Modi hail 'historic' UK-India trade deal
Starmer, Modi hail 'historic' UK-India trade deal

The Advertiser

time4 hours ago

  • The Advertiser

Starmer, Modi hail 'historic' UK-India trade deal

Britain and India have signed a free trade agreement during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealing a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses. Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi met at Chequers, the British leader's official country residence outside London, where the UK and Indian trade ministers, Jonathan Reynolds and Piyush Goyal, formally signed the agreement. Starmer said it was "the biggest and most economically significant trade deal" Britain has made since leaving the European Union in 2020. Modi said it was "a historic day in our bilateral relations." Alongside the agreement, the two countries announced almost STG6 billion ($A12 billion) in trade and investment deals in areas including AI, aerospace and dairy products, and pledged to work more closely together in areas such as defence, migration, climate and health. The trade agreement between India and Britain, the world's fifth- and sixth-largest economies, was announced in May, more than three years after negotiations started, and stalled, under Britain's previous Conservative government. The UK government said the deal will reduce India's average tariff on British goods from 15 per cent to three per cent. Import taxes on whisky and gin will be halved from 150 per cent to 75 per cent before falling to 40 per cent by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota. Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by STG25.5 billion annually from 2040 and add almost STG5 billion a year to the British economy. India's Trade Ministry said in May that 99 per cent of Indian exports will face no import duty under the deal, which applies to products including clothes, shoes and food. Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain left the EU. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by the Diwali holiday in October of that year. The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held general elections in 2024. Almost two million people in the UK have roots in India, where Britain was the colonial power until independence in 1947. Starmer said Britain and India "have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term." Speaking as England and India face off in a Test cricket series, Modi sad the sport was "a great metaphor for our partnership." "There may be a swing and a miss at times but we always play with a straight bat," he said. "We are committed to building a high-scoring, solid partnership." with Reuters Britain and India have signed a free trade agreement during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealing a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses. Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi met at Chequers, the British leader's official country residence outside London, where the UK and Indian trade ministers, Jonathan Reynolds and Piyush Goyal, formally signed the agreement. Starmer said it was "the biggest and most economically significant trade deal" Britain has made since leaving the European Union in 2020. Modi said it was "a historic day in our bilateral relations." Alongside the agreement, the two countries announced almost STG6 billion ($A12 billion) in trade and investment deals in areas including AI, aerospace and dairy products, and pledged to work more closely together in areas such as defence, migration, climate and health. The trade agreement between India and Britain, the world's fifth- and sixth-largest economies, was announced in May, more than three years after negotiations started, and stalled, under Britain's previous Conservative government. The UK government said the deal will reduce India's average tariff on British goods from 15 per cent to three per cent. Import taxes on whisky and gin will be halved from 150 per cent to 75 per cent before falling to 40 per cent by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota. Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by STG25.5 billion annually from 2040 and add almost STG5 billion a year to the British economy. India's Trade Ministry said in May that 99 per cent of Indian exports will face no import duty under the deal, which applies to products including clothes, shoes and food. Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain left the EU. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by the Diwali holiday in October of that year. The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held general elections in 2024. Almost two million people in the UK have roots in India, where Britain was the colonial power until independence in 1947. Starmer said Britain and India "have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term." Speaking as England and India face off in a Test cricket series, Modi sad the sport was "a great metaphor for our partnership." "There may be a swing and a miss at times but we always play with a straight bat," he said. "We are committed to building a high-scoring, solid partnership." with Reuters Britain and India have signed a free trade agreement during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealing a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses. Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi met at Chequers, the British leader's official country residence outside London, where the UK and Indian trade ministers, Jonathan Reynolds and Piyush Goyal, formally signed the agreement. Starmer said it was "the biggest and most economically significant trade deal" Britain has made since leaving the European Union in 2020. Modi said it was "a historic day in our bilateral relations." Alongside the agreement, the two countries announced almost STG6 billion ($A12 billion) in trade and investment deals in areas including AI, aerospace and dairy products, and pledged to work more closely together in areas such as defence, migration, climate and health. The trade agreement between India and Britain, the world's fifth- and sixth-largest economies, was announced in May, more than three years after negotiations started, and stalled, under Britain's previous Conservative government. The UK government said the deal will reduce India's average tariff on British goods from 15 per cent to three per cent. Import taxes on whisky and gin will be halved from 150 per cent to 75 per cent before falling to 40 per cent by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota. Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by STG25.5 billion annually from 2040 and add almost STG5 billion a year to the British economy. India's Trade Ministry said in May that 99 per cent of Indian exports will face no import duty under the deal, which applies to products including clothes, shoes and food. Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain left the EU. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by the Diwali holiday in October of that year. The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held general elections in 2024. Almost two million people in the UK have roots in India, where Britain was the colonial power until independence in 1947. Starmer said Britain and India "have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term." Speaking as England and India face off in a Test cricket series, Modi sad the sport was "a great metaphor for our partnership." "There may be a swing and a miss at times but we always play with a straight bat," he said. "We are committed to building a high-scoring, solid partnership." with Reuters Britain and India have signed a free trade agreement during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealing a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses. Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi met at Chequers, the British leader's official country residence outside London, where the UK and Indian trade ministers, Jonathan Reynolds and Piyush Goyal, formally signed the agreement. Starmer said it was "the biggest and most economically significant trade deal" Britain has made since leaving the European Union in 2020. Modi said it was "a historic day in our bilateral relations." Alongside the agreement, the two countries announced almost STG6 billion ($A12 billion) in trade and investment deals in areas including AI, aerospace and dairy products, and pledged to work more closely together in areas such as defence, migration, climate and health. The trade agreement between India and Britain, the world's fifth- and sixth-largest economies, was announced in May, more than three years after negotiations started, and stalled, under Britain's previous Conservative government. The UK government said the deal will reduce India's average tariff on British goods from 15 per cent to three per cent. Import taxes on whisky and gin will be halved from 150 per cent to 75 per cent before falling to 40 per cent by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota. Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by STG25.5 billion annually from 2040 and add almost STG5 billion a year to the British economy. India's Trade Ministry said in May that 99 per cent of Indian exports will face no import duty under the deal, which applies to products including clothes, shoes and food. Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain left the EU. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by the Diwali holiday in October of that year. The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held general elections in 2024. Almost two million people in the UK have roots in India, where Britain was the colonial power until independence in 1947. Starmer said Britain and India "have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term." Speaking as England and India face off in a Test cricket series, Modi sad the sport was "a great metaphor for our partnership." "There may be a swing and a miss at times but we always play with a straight bat," he said. "We are committed to building a high-scoring, solid partnership." with Reuters

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store